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A gang of youths have been accused of openly urinating on children's graves and taking drugs at a city cemetery.

Shocked passers-by said they were appalled to see the brazen gang desecrating the graves at the Higher Cemetery in Exeter.

Other appalling incidents involving youths - described as being a group of teenagers and those in their 20s - also include open drug taking in public.

Cllr Olwen Foggin, Exeter City Councillor for Heavitree, has been inundated with reports of the despicable goings on, DevonLive reports.

It also hits close to home for her. Losing her little brother at a young age, he is buried in the affected plot of land set aside for infants.

Blatant disregard

She said: "Local residents have been in contact with me about these terrible issues and they are utterly outraged by this blatant disregard for the feelings of local families and loved ones.

"I have been a local Councillor for many years and dealt with a huge variety of issues both big and small but I think that this shocking act of defiling and toileting on the graves of deceased children has to be one of the most disgusting and appalling that I have ever come across.

Cllr Owen Foggin at Exeter Higher Cemetery

"It’s all completely unacceptable. It’s a resting place, they should be left alone to rest in peace.

"This matter is also very personal to me as all my family are buried here, including my own baby brother who died in 1945.

"Working with local residents we have contacted the City Council and community police team to investigate and action and needed and I would urge anyone who sees any problems to also keep reporting them.

"Together we must come together as a community in Heavitree to challenge and stop this very bad behavior.”

Higher Cemetery's dedicated area for the graves of babies and children has a boy and dog sculpture, planting and seating. It is set back from the main entrances to the cemetery.

The incidents are becoming more and more regular, with the anti-social behaviour beginning within the last six to nine months.

Before that, the only serious incidents linked to the cemetery happened around nine years ago, when several graves were destroyed.

Cllr Foggin has also urged anyone with photographs or CCTV of the offenders to send them on to Devon & Cornwall Police.